Spring Salad in Winter

My friend in Switzerland told me about her sister's exotic vacation to America. She asked where they should eat in Monterey. I told her Black Bear Diner, of course. They serve hearty portions of great food, including breakfast all day. I'm a frequent visitor all over California.

This visit I enjoyed a Sweet Garden Harvest Salad with dried fruits and pecans, tossed in a tangy dijon dressing and topped with fresh strawberries on top. The sharp, spicy tang of the dressing complements the sweetness of the fruit. The pecans add a crunchy treat.

Rock Hounds in the Bathroom

I hate to admit it now, but Earth Sciences was the most boring science class I took in high school. And I flubbed the practical exam where the instructor asked us to identify a bunch of rocks. Hey, they were just rocks, right?

Since then my love of geology has never approached the level of professional excellence like my professional friends at Falcon Geodetic  or the scientific expertise at Geology.com. But I know a pretty rock when I see one. And this museum had cases and cases of pretty rocks from all over. Marble, malachite, quartz, and many beautiful varieties of each.

And what thought comes to mind when faces with so many pretty tiles? Why, a custom tiled bathroom, of course.

 

Antiquities Museum, Basel

The Well Dressed Egyptian Woman

I love diamonds when the jewelry store shines their special lights and make them sparkle. But for daily wear semiprecious stones like jade, lapis lazuli, malachite, amber and turquoise have the power to brighten up the wardrobe. Just like me, the Egyptian women found this jewelry essential for a well dressed afterlife.

Antiquities Museum, Basel

Egyptian Common Jewelry

Not all Egyptian jewelry was made of gold. This necklace, though made of common materials, has a certain elegance in the way the beads are strung. It could also provide protection from the hot Egyptian sun. 

Antiquities Museum, Basel

Nyummy Gnocci Time

I enjoyed gnocci (pronounced na-yoe-kee) twice in Switzerland. Each dish was delightfully different from the other. Gnocci are small potato balls boiled and drenched in a delightful sauce. This dish was a mild curry with a saffron accent.

Pottery to Die For

Death, though rarely welcomed, will always be with us. What changes through the ages are ceremonies and traditions. During Hellenistic times the ancient Greeks honored their dead with funerary urns. These were four feet tall an painted with elaborate scenes from life and mythology.
Courtesy if the Museum of Antiquities in Basel.

Antiquities Museum, Basel

Amazon Battle Urn

Before the online store, Amazons were fearsome bands of warrior women. While Xena Barbarian Princess wore shapely leather armor, the Amazons of history wore armor comparable to the Greek soldiers of the time. In battle they gave as good as they got.

Antiquities Museum, Basel